Difference in spatiotemporal patterns of wildlife road-crossings and wildlife-vehicle collisions

Human–wildlife conflicts like wildlife–vehicle collisions pose major challenges for the management and conservation of mobile wildlife in human-dominated landscapes, particularly when large species are involved. Mitigation measures to reduce risk of collisions may be based on information given by wildlife movement and collision data. To test whether movement and collision data indicate different spatiotemporal risk zones, we predicted year-around probabilities of road-crossings of GPS-marked female moose (Alces alces) (n = 102), and compared them with spatiotemporal patterns of police recorded moose-vehicle collisions (n = 1158). Probability of moose road-crossings peaked in May, June, and between mid November and the beginning of January, i.e. during moose migration. Moose-vehicle collisions were more likely during autumn and winter. Comparing environmental attributes of crossing and collision sites showed significant differences. The likelihood of collisions increased with the abundance of human-modified areas and higher allowed speed, and was lower on forest roads. We found that animal movement data alone are insufficient to predict collision risk zones, while analyses of collision data alone overestimate the collision risk in certain habitats. Our findings suggest that higher collision risk is largely due to low light and poor road surface conditions rather than to more animal road-crossings. This suggests that efforts to reduce wildlife collisions should focus on driver attitudes and road conditions rather than animal movement, and any efforts to model the collision risk will require actual collision data, and not just movement data.     

Scale-independent significance of river and riparian zones on three sympatric Myotis species in an agricultural landscape

Conserving biodiversity in agricultural landscapes is an urgent issue. The effective conservation of biodiversity requires plans based on species’ habitat preferences at multiple spatial scales. We examined how the foraging habitat selection of bats varied with grain size (50, 150, 250, and 350 m) and how habitat selection in the home range differed from that in the foraging habitat in an agricultural landscape. Focusing on three sympatric Myotis species (Myotis petax, Myotis gracilis, and Myotis frater), we radio-tracked 10 individuals of each species for 121 nights in Hokkaido, northern Japan. Rivers and broadleaved riparian forests were commonly preferred at multiple scales, although the preferred land-cover type was dependent on both extent and grain size for most species. The best grain sizes for predicting the foraging-habitat use of M. petax and M. gracilis were 50 and 150 m. By contrast, M. frater showed no tendency across the grain sizes. Our results indicate that it is necessary to consider both extent and grain size to understand the habitat selection of bats. Our findings also suggest that focusing primarily on preferred land-cover types at multiple scales is effective for conservation planning, given the limited resources in terms of time, manpower, and finances. Although arable did not negatively affect the selection of foraging habitats and home ranges in these bat species, preventing the loss of rivers and forests should be prioritized over preventing arable land expansion.     

Effect of the Wenchuan earthquake on habitat use patterns of the giant panda in the Minshan Mountains,southwestern China

The Wenchuan earthquake of May 2008 was a severe natural disaster that caused significant damage to the habitat of the endangered giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) inhabiting southwestern China. However, the effect of the earthquake on giant pandas is understudied. We took advantage of our long-term dataset on panda habitat use in the Minshan Mountains to investigate panda response to this disaster. We analyzed the habitat use patterns of giant pandas over the course of a 6-year period (5 years pre-earthquake and 1 year post-earthquake) along fixed-width line transects. We found that the habitat use patterns of giant pandas were stable before the earthquake and there was no obvious change after the earthquake (despite habitat loss that occurred). We argue that the Wenchuan earthquake does not appear to have been a significant threat for the giant panda. Our findings contribute to ongoing habitat restoration plans and long-term conservation of the giant panda.     

Habitat use and activity patterns of larval and adult Cantharis beetles in arable land

Generalist predators play a key role in agriculturally and environmentally sustainable systems of pest control. A detailed knowledge on their ecology, however, is needed to improve management practices to maximize their service of pest control. The present study examines the habitat use and activity patterns of larval and adult Cantharis beetles that are abundant predators in arable land. Laboratory experiments revealed that sixth instar larvae of Cantharis fusca and Cantharis livida significantly preferred high relative humidity levels of 85–90% to lower ones. This can explain their preference for meadows over fields due to the more favorable microclimatic conditions in the former habitats. Surface activity of sixth instar Cantharis larvae during autumn, winter and early spring occurred at soil temperatures above 0 °C. However, no correlation between surface activity and soil temperature, air temperature or relative humidity was found above 0 °C. Catches of sixth instar Cantharis larvae within fenced pitfall traps were higher in a meadow (Mean ± S.D.; 13.8 ± 7.63 individuals m⁻²) than in a field (4.60 ± 2.89 individuals m⁻²). Mark-recapture density estimations for sixth instar larvae indicated mean densities of 25.9 ± 5.63 (field) and 42.8 ± 16.0 individuals m⁻² (meadow). The same pattern was found for adult emergence rates in the field (0.17 ± 0.39 adults m⁻²) and meadow (1.83 ± 1.17 adults m⁻²) as well as for adult densities in the vegetation (field 4.89 ± 3.62 adults 60 m⁻²; meadow 12.5 ± 11.2 adults 60 m⁻²). It is concluded that especially in winter elements that provide plant cover should be incorporated in arable fields to enhance larval cantharid population densities and to attract them from their prime grassland habitats into arable sites.     

Quantifying home range habitat requirements for bobcats (Lynx rufus) in Vermont,USA

We demonstrate how home range and habitat use analysis can inform landscape-scale conservation planning for the bobcat, Lynx rufus, in Vermont USA. From 2005 to 2008, we outfitted fourteen bobcats with GPS collars that collected spatially explicit locations from individuals every 4 h for 3–4 months. Kernel home range techniques were used to estimate home range size and boundaries, and to quantify the utilization distribution (UD), which is a spatially explicit, topographic mapping of how different areas within the home range are used. We then used GIS methods to quantify both biotic (e.g. habitat types, stream density) and abiotic (e.g. slope) resources within each bobcat’s home range. Across bobcats, upper 20th UD percentiles (core areas) had 18% less agriculture, 42% less development, 26% more bobcat habitat (shrub, deciduous, coniferous forest, and wetland cover types), and 33% lower road density than lower UD percentiles (UD valleys). For each bobcat, we used Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) to evaluate and compare 24 alternative Resource Utilization Functions (hypotheses) that could explain the topology of the individual’s UD. A model-averaged population-level Resource Utilization Function suggested positive responses to shrub, deciduous, coniferous forest, and wetland cover types within 1 km of a location, and negative responses to roads and mixed forest cover types within 1 km of a location. Applying this model-averaged function to each pixel in the study area revealed habitat suitability for bobcats across the entire study area, with suitability scores ranging between ?1.69 and 1.44, where higher values were assumed to represent higher quality habitat. The southern Champlain Valley, which contained ample wetland and shrub habitat, was a concentrated area of highly suitable habitat, while areas at higher elevation areas were less suitable. Female bobcat home ranges, on average, had an average habitat suitability score of near 0, indicating that home ranges consisted of both beneficial and detrimental habitat types. We discuss the application of habitat suitability mapping and home range requirements for bobcat conservation and landscape scale management.     

Can commercial mulches be reservoirs of invasive earthworms? Promotion of ligninolytic enzyme activity and survival of Amynthas agrestis (Goto and Hatai, 1899)

Amynthas agrestis is an exotic, invasive earthworm in North America that has been associated with horticulture settings as well as damage to forest soil. An experiment was conducted to find out whether A. agrestis, an earthworm commonly found in mulches in Vermont, stimulates ligninolytic enzymes in the presence of commercial wood mulches. Mesocosms filled with a sandy loam soil were topped with either spruce, cedar or pine mulch. Half of the mesocosms received juvenile A. agrestis, the other half did not. After 7 weeks soils were analyzed for phenoloxidase and peroxidase activity. Most A. agrestis survived and developed into adults during the incubation period. Significantly greater phenoloxidase activity was detected in soils with A. agrestis than without earthworms. Mean (standard deviation) phenoloxidase activities in the presence of A. agrestis were 0.15 (±0.10), 1.14 (±0.46), 2.71 (±0.98) μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ for pine, spruce and cedar respectively, and 0.012 (±0.023), 0.25 (±0.25), 0.78 (±0.45) μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ in the absence of A. agrestis. There was significantly greater peroxidase activity for the pine and spruce treatment when earthworms were present. Mean peroxidase activities were 0.47 (±0.21), 0.94 (±0.29), 1.20 (±0.77) μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ soil for pine, spruce and cedar, respectively for soils with A. agrestis and 0.15 (±0.10), 0.37 (±0.10), 0.63 (±0.30) μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ soil in the absence of earthworms. The increased ligninolytic activity in combination with successful maturation of juveniles into adult A. agrestis suggests that mulch can be habitat for these invasive earthworms. This finding is supported by a survey of master gardeners in Vermont and New Hampshire 20% of whom reported to have seen these earthworms mainly in their gardens and mulched beds.     

Diversity and abundance of earthworms in land use systems in central-western Colombia

The neotropical landscapes of Colombia's Andean region are characterized by a mosaic of agroecosystems presenting a range of vegetational cover for which soil fauna adaptation is still unknown. To analyze the diversity and abundance of earthworm species in relation to changes in selected soil physical and chemical parameters (bulk density, C stock, N stock, %C, %N, ¹³C, ¹⁵N, C:N ratio), these systems were classified into five categories according to land use intensity: non-intensive (NI), low intensity (LI), medium intensity (MI), high intensity (HI), and maximum intensity (IN). The influence of livestock production was confirmed in the significant differences observed in bulk density and ¹⁵N between NI, HI, and IN (P < 0.05). The C and N contents of IN systems (pastures) differed significantly (P < 0.05) in comparison with the other categories. Average δ ¹³C at the three soil depths evaluated (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm) ranged between ?24.9 for LI and ?22.87 for IN, indicating that soil organic carbon was related to C3-type vegetation for all land uses and vegetation covers. Overall, 26 earthworm species were recorded, of which 16 showed a high capacity to adapt to natural, NI, LI, and MI systems. Depending on land use intensity, significant differences were also observed (P < 0.05) in the origin and ecological category of earthworms, mainly in terms of the following variables: diversity of native species, diversity of endogeic species, abundance of native species, biomass of native species, and abundance of exotic species. Based on the results obtained, the most favorable mosaic systems for agrobiodiversity conservation were identified as well as those subsystems that require special management to solve problems of habitat degradation.     

Evapotranspiration and water use efficiency in different-aged Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir stands

We used the eddy-covariance technique to measure evapotranspiration (E) and gross primary production (GPP) in a chronosequence of three coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands (7, 19 and 58 years old in 2007, hereafter referred to as HDF00, HDF88 and DF49, respectively) since 1998. Here, we focus on the controls on canopy conductance (g_c), E, GPP and water use efficiency (WUE) and the effect of interannual climate variability at the intermediate-aged stand (DF49) and then analyze the effects of stand age following clearcut harvesting on these characteristics. Daytime dry-foliage Priestley–Taylor α and g_c at DF49 were 0.4–0.8 and 2–6 mm s^?1, respectively, and were linearly correlated (R² = 0.65). Low values of α and g_c at DF49 as well at the other two stands suggested stomatal limitation to transpiration. Monthly E, however, showed strong positive linear correlations to monthly net radiation (R² = 0.94), air temperature (R² = 0.77), and daytime vapour pressure deficit (R² = 0.76). During July–September, monthly E (mm) was linearly correlated to monthly mean soil water content (θ, m³ m^?3) in the 0–60 cm layer (E = 453θ ? 21, R² = 0.69), and GPP was similarly affected. Annual E and GPP of DF49 for the period 1998–2007 varied from 370 to 430 mm and from 1950 to 2390 g C m^?2, respectively. After clearcut harvesting, E dropped to about 70% of that for DF49 while ecosystem evapotranspiration was fully recovered when stand age was ～12 years. This contrasted to GPP, which varied hyperbolically with stand age. Monthly GPP showed a strong positive linear relationship with E irrespective of the stand age. While annual WUE of HDF00 and HDF88 varied with age from 0.5 to 4.1 g C m^?2 kg^?1 and from 2.8 to 4.4 g C m^?2 kg^?1, respectively, it was quite conservative at ～5.3 g C m^?2 kg^?1 for DF49. N-fertilization had little first-year response on E and WUE. This study not only provides important results for a more detailed validation of process-based models but also helps in predicting the influences of climate change and forest management on water vapour and CO₂ fluxes in Douglas-fir forests.     

Terrestrial habitat requirements of nesting freshwater turtles

Because particular life history traits affect species vulnerability to development pressures, cross-species summaries of life history traits are useful for generating management guidelines. Conservation of aquatic turtles, many members of which are regionally or globally imperiled, requires knowing the extent of upland habitat used for nesting. Therefore, we compiled distances that nests and gravid females had been observed from wetlands. Based on records of > 8000 nests and gravid female records compiled for 31 species in the United States and Canada, the distances that encompass 95% of nests vary dramatically among genera and populations, from just 8 m for Malaclemys to nearly 1400 m for Trachemys. Widths of core areas to encompass varying fractions of nesting populations (based on mean maxima across all genera) were estimated as: 50% coverage = 93 m, 75% = 154 m, 90% = 198 m, 95% = 232 m, 100% = 942 m. Approximately 6–98 m is required to encompass each consecutive 10% segment of a nesting population up to 90% coverage; thereafter, ca. 424 m is required to encompass the remaining 10%. Many genera require modest terrestrial areas (<200 m zones) for 95% nest coverage (Actinemys, Apalone, Chelydra, Chrysemys, Clemmys, Glyptemys, Graptemys, Macrochelys, Malaclemys, Pseudemys, Sternotherus), whereas other genera require larger zones (Deirochelys, Emydoidea, Kinosternon, Trachemys). Our results represent planning targets for conserving sufficient areas of uplands around wetlands to ensure protection of turtle nesting sites, migrating adult female turtles, and dispersing turtle hatchlings.     

Soil losses due to cassava and sweet potato harvesting: A case study from low input traditional agriculture

Soil loss due to crop harvesting (SLCH) has been established as an important soil erosion process that has significantly contributed to soil degradation in highly mechanised agriculture. This has stimulated the need to investigate the importance of this process of erosion under low input agriculture where, until now, only water and tillage erosion are known as important phenomena causing soil degradation. This study was conducted in Eastern Uganda with the following objectives: (1) to assess the amount of soil lost due to the harvesting of cassava roots and sweet potato tubers under low input agriculture, (2) to look into the factors that influence variations in these soil losses, and (3) to estimate the amount of plant nutrients lost due to SLCH for cassava and sweet potato. Soil sticking to roots and tubers was washed and the soil suspension oven dried to estimate the amount of soil lost after harvesting. Mean annual soil loss for cassava was 3.4 tonnes ha⁻¹ and for sweet potato was 0.2 tonnes ha⁻¹. Ammonium acetate lactate extractable soil nutrient losses for cassava were N = 1.71 kg ha⁻¹ harvest⁻¹, P = 0.16 kg ha⁻¹ harvest⁻¹, K = 1.08 kg ha⁻¹ harvest⁻¹ and for sweet potato were N = 0.14, P = 0.01 kg ha⁻¹ harvest⁻¹, K = 0.15 kg ha⁻¹ harvest⁻¹. Difference in soil loss due to crop harvesting for cassava and sweet potato could be due to: (1) smaller yields of sweet potato leading to smaller soil losses on an area basis, (2) smoother skin and less kinked morphology of sweet potato that allowed less soil to adhere, and (3) the fact that sweet potato is planted in mounds which dry out faster compared to the soil under cassava. Soil moisture content at harvesting time and crop age were significant factors that explained the variations in the soil lost at cassava harvesting. Soil loss under cassava justifies the need to conduct further investigations on this process of soil erosion under low input agriculture.     

Effects of land use changes on winter-active Collembola in Sanjiang Plain of China

Sanjiang Plain is the largest concentrated area of freshwater wetlands in China, however nearly 80% of these freshwater wetlands were drained or reclaimed in the past 50 years. It is important to know whether wetlands reclamation would affect soil invertebrates, especially the winter-active invertebrates. During November 2011 to April 2012, we used pitfall traps and in-field direct observation methods to study the activity of collembolans in wetland, and a reclaimed forest plantation and soybean field. In total, 3465 collembolans were captured and identified to 8 species from 6 families. Desoria sp. 1, Desoria sp. 2 and Desoria sp. 3 were the three dominant species. Collembolan abundance and assemblages were significantly affected by the land use changes. The results showed that (1) Collembola captured by pitfall traps showed a highest abundance in wetland, with ∼50% decreased abundance in soybean field, and ∼75% decreased in the forest plantation. (2) Collembola activity changed during the winter season, their activity significantly increased from early winter to late winter; with a peak in March in all three land use types. (3) Collembola assemblages were affected by land use changes with a significant decrease of frequency of Desoria sp. 3 and a significant increase of frequency of Desoria sp. 2 in soybean field and forest plantation. (4) Collembolan densities on the snow surface usually peaked between 1400 h and 1500 h, and decreased quickly when the temperature dropped below freezing. Mean abundance reached 119 individuals m⁻² on the snow surface in wetland, 152 individuals m⁻² in soybean field, and 64 individuals m⁻² in forest plantation. All collembolans moved up and down through the snow profile depending on temperature, no collembolans were found on the snow surface in the evening. Our study indicated that the reclamation of wetland resulted in a significant decrease of abundance and a different assemblage of winter active Collembola in Northeast China, but land use changes did not change their pattern of activity: Collembolans were rarely active in early and middle winter and mostly active in late winter. Their daily densities on the snow surface fluctuated according to both air temperatures and land use types.     

The role of imbibition on seed selection by Harpalus pensylvanicus

Invertebrate weed seed predation is an important component of weed seed loss in agricultural fields. This study investigated the role of seed imbibition on the selection and consumption of the seeds of seven common agricultural weed species by Harpalus pensylvanicus De Geer, a granivorous carabid beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) that is found throughout North America. The volatile organic compounds released by ambient dry and imbibed weed seeds were quantified, and Y-tube bioassays were conducted to determine if H. pensylvanicus individuals responded to volatile compounds released from weed seeds. H. pensylvanicus individuals were found to consume higher masses of seeds for each weed species examined in imbibed versus ambient dry trials (P < 0.05). Larger seeded species had the greatest increase in mass consumption between dry seed and imbibed seed trials. The seeds from the seven weed species examined released carbon dioxide and ethylene when ambient dry and imbibed, but H. pensylvanicus adults were only able to detect weed seeds through olfaction when volatile release was highest as a result of imbibition. These results demonstrate that seed imbibition is important in determining seed detection and consumption by invertebrates and may affect seed banks in agricultural fields.     

Comparative analysis of soil microbial communities and their responses to the short-term drought in bog,fen, and riparian wetlands

The frequency of drought is anticipated to increase in wetland ecosystems as global warming intensifies. However, information on microbial communities involved in greenhouse gas emissions and their responses to drought remains sparse. We compared the gene abundance of eubacterial 16S rRNA, nitrite reductase (nirS) and methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcrA), and the diversity and composition of eubacteria, methanogens and denitrifiers among bog, fen and riparian wetlands. The gene abundance, diversity and composition significantly differed among wetlands (p < 0.01) with the exception of the diversity of methanogens. The gene abundance was ranked in the order of the bog = fen > riparian wetland, whereas the diversity was in the riparian wetland ≥ fen > bog. In addition, we conducted a short-term drought experiment and compared microbial communities between control (water-logged) and drought (?15 cm) treatments. Drought led to significant decline in the gene abundance in the bog (16S rRNA, nirS, mcrA) (p < 0.01) and fen (16S rRNA, nirS) (p < 0.05), but not in the riparian wetland. There were no differences in the diversity and composition of denitrifiers and methanogens at all sites following drought. Our results imply that denitrifiers and methanogens inhabiting bogs and fens would suffer from short-term droughts, but remain unchanged in riparian wetlands.     

Land use influences soil fungal community composition across central Victoria,south-eastern Australia

Current theory expects that fungi, on the one hand, are spatially ubiquitous but, on the other, are more susceptible than bacteria to disturbance such as land use change due to dispersal limitations. This study examined the relative importance of location and land use effects in determining soil fungal community composition in south-eastern Australia. We use terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP; primer pair ITS1-F–ITS4) and multivariate statistical methods (NMDS ordinations, ANOSIM tests) to compare relative similarities of soil fungal communities from nine sites encompassing three locations (ca 50–200 km apart) and four land uses (native eucalypt forest, Pinus radiata plantation, Eucalyptus globulus plantation, and unimproved pasture). Location effects were generally weak (e.g. ANOSIM test statistic R ≤ 0.49) and were, in part, attributed to minor differences in soil texture. By contrast, we found clear and consistent evidence of land use effects on soil fungal community composition (R ≤ 0.95). That is, soils from sites of the same land use grouped together in NMDS ordinations of fungal composition despite geographic separations of up to ca 175 km (native eucalypt forests) and 215 km (P. radiata plantations). In addition, different land uses from the same location were clearly separate in NMDS ordinations, despite, in one case, being just 180 m apart and having similar land use histories (i.e. P. radiata versus E. globulus plantation both established on pasture in the previous decade). Given negligible management of all sites beyond the early establishment phase, we attribute much of the land use effects to changes in dominant plant species based on consistent evidence elsewhere of strong specificity in pine and eucalypt mycorrhizal associations. In addition, weak to moderate correlations between soil fungal community composition and soil chemical variables (e.g. Spearman rank correlation coefficients for individual variables of 0.08–0.32), indicated a minor contributing role of vegetation-mediated changes in litter and soil chemistry. Our data provide evidence of considerable plasticity in soil fungal community composition over time spans as short as 6–11 years. This suggests that – at least within geographic zones characterised by more-or-less contiguous forest cover – soil fungal community composition depends most on availability of suitable habitat because dispersal propagules are readily available for colonisation after land use change.     

Tolerance,growth and degradation of phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene by Rhizobium tropici CIAT 899 in liquid culture medium

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are ubiquitous pollutants that are toxic and recalcitrant to degradation by bacteria. This research evaluated the toxicity of different concentrations [10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 μg mL⁻¹] of phenanthrene (PHE) or benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) on the growth of Rhizobium tropici CIAT899 under in vitro conditions as well as the potential degradation of PHE and BaP by this bacterium. At 24 h, a 40% decrease in Rhizobium growth was observed when exposed to 40 μg mL⁻¹ of either PHE or BaP. Furthermore, bacterial growth was completely inhibited by PHE or BaP applied in 80 and 100 μg mL⁻¹. After 96 h, the growth of R. tropici at 40 μg PHE mL⁻¹ or 60 μg BaP mL⁻¹ was similar to those treatments without PAH. To evaluate R. tropici degrading capabilities, supernatants of cultures with 40 μg PHE mL⁻¹ or 60 μg BaP mL⁻¹ were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrophotometer (GC–MS). R. tropici was able to degrade either PHE or BaP diminishing its concentration in 20% and 25% during the first 24 h, degradation obtained at 120 h was 50% and 45% for PHE or BaP, respectively. This research shows for the first time that R. tropici CIAT 899 grows in liquid culture medium contaminated with PAH, and moreover is able to growth and to degrade either PHE or BaP.     

Long-term effects of hedgerow management policies on resource provision for wildlife

Hedgerows provide important habitat and food resources for overwintering birds, mammals and invertebrates. Currently, 41% of managed hedgerow length in England forms part of three Agri-Environment Scheme (AES) options, which specify a reduction in hedgerow cutting frequency from the most common practice of annual cutting. These AES options aim to increase the availability of flowers and berries for wildlife, but there has been little rigorous testing of their efficacy or estimates of the magnitude of their effects. We conducted a factorial experiment on hawthorn hedges to test the effects of (i) cutting frequency (every 1, 2 or 3 years) and (ii) timing of cutting (autumn vs. winter) on the abundance of flowers and berry resources. Results from 5 years show that hedgerow cutting reduced the number of flowers by up to 75% and the biomass of berries available over winter by up to 83% compared to monitored uncut hedges. Reducing cutting frequency from every year to every 3 years resulted in 2.1 times more flowers and a 3.4 times greater berry mass over 5 years. Cutting every 2 years had an intermediate effect on flower and berry abundance, but the increase in biomass of berries depended on cutting in winter rather than autumn. The most popular AES option is cutting every 2 years (32% of English managed hedgerow length). If these hedges were managed under a 3 year cutting regime instead, we estimate that biomass of berries would increase by about 40%, resulting in a substantial benefit for wildlife.     

Dynamic performance assessment of protected areas

Recognizing the importance of preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services, human society has established extensive protected area networks to conserve these resources in recent decades. Are protected areas working as expected? Empirical coarse-scale assessments of this question across large regions, or even globally, tend to answer “yes”, while fine-scale studies of individual protected areas often and repeatedly answer “no”. We conducted a first fine-scale analysis of Brazil’s extensive Amazonian protected area network (1.8 million km²) and have quantitatively estimated conservation effectiveness in light of changing human development pressures in the surrounding landscape. The overall network maintained intact forest cover for 98.6% of protected forest lands, largely agreeing with previous coarse-scale studies. However, detailed examination of 474 individual protected areas unveils a broad range of efficacy. Many protected areas (544,800 km²) experience default protection simply due to their remoteness. Many others (396,100 km²) have provided highly effective protection in the face of substantial human development pressure. Conversely, 12% (38) of protected areas have failed to protect the 27,300 km² that they encompass, and another 7% (23) provide only marginal protection of 37,500 km². Comprehensive landscape assessments of protected area networks, with frequent monitoring at scales matching the patterns of human-caused disturbances, are necessary to ensure the conservation effectiveness and long term survival of protected areas in rapidly changing landscapes. The methods presented here are globally adaptable to all forested protected areas.     

Degradation of the herbicide sulfentrazone in a Brazilian Typic Hapludox soil

The herbicide sulfentrazone is classified as highly mobile and persistent and this study aimed to examine degradation of this compound on a Typic Hapludox soil that is representative of regions where sulfentrazone is used in Brazil. Soil samples were supplemented with sulfentrazone (0.7 μg active ingredient (a.i.) g^?1 soil), and maintained at 27 °C. Soil moisture was corrected to 30%, 70%, or 100% water-holding capacity (WHC) and maintained constant until the end of the experimental period. Soils without added herbicide were used as controls. Aliquots were taken after 14, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 255 days of incubation for quantitative analysis of sulfentrazone residues by gas chromatography. Another experiment was conducted in soil samples, with and without the herbicide, at different temperatures (15, 30, and 40 °C), with moisture kept constant at 70% of WHC. The sulfentrazone residues were quantified by gas chromatography after 14, 30, 60, and 120 days of incubation. Sulfentrazone degradation was not affected by soil moisture. A significant effect was observed for the temperature factor after 120 days on herbicide degradation, which was higher at 30 °C. A half-life of 146.5 days was recorded. It was observed that the herbicide stimulated growth of actinomycetes, whereas bacterial and fungal growth was not affected. The microorganisms selected as potential sulfentrazone degraders were Rhizobium radiobacter, Ralstonia pickettii, Methylobacterium radiotolerans, Cladosporium sp., Eupenicillium sp., and Paecilomyces sp.     

Changes in the community composition and trophic structure of microarthropods in sporocarps of the wood decaying fungus Fomitopsis pinicola along an altitudinal gradient

Soil microarthropods colonize a wide range of habitats including microhabitats such as earthworm burrows, ant nests, tree trunks, moss mats and wood decaying fungi. While many of these microhabitats have been investigated intensively, the role of wood decaying fungi as a habitat and food resource for microarthropods found little attention. We investigated the density, community structure, reproductive mode and trophic structure of microarthropods, in particular oribatid mites, in the wood decaying fungus Fomitopsis pinicola (Schwarts: Fr) Karst. along an altitudinal gradient in Germany spanning from 350 m to 1160 m. Microarthropods were extracted from sporocarps, and stable isotope ratios (¹⁵N/¹⁴N; ¹³C/¹²C) of the fungus and the microarthropods were measured. Densities of most microarthropod taxa were highest at lower altitudes and decreased with increasing altitude. Oribatid mites were the dominant animal taxon. Their community structure gradually changed with altitude. Stable isotope ratios indicated that oribatid mite and other arthropod species occupy distinct trophic niches but most do not feed on F. pinicola. Notably, species of the same genus, e.g. Carabodes, occupied different trophic niches. Most oribatid mite species in F. pinicola reproduced sexually which is similar to the bark of trees but in contrast to the soil where most species reproduce via parthenogenesis. The findings indicate that (1) at high altitudes microarthropod density in fungal fruiting bodies is limited by low temperatures reducing animal metabolism and reproduction, and this also affects oribatid mite community structure, (2) despite the uniform habitat trophic niches of oribatid mite species differ and this also applies to morphologically similar species of the same genus, and (3) feeding on F. pinicola or associated resources facilitates the dominance of sexual reproducing species.     

Relationships between soil pH and microbial properties in a UK arable soil

Effects of changing pH along a natural continuous gradient of a UK silty-loam soil were investigated. The site was a 200 m soil transect of the Hoosfield acid strip (Rothamsted Research, UK) which has grown continuous barley for more than 100 years. This experiment provides a remarkably uniform soil pH gradient, ranging from about pH 8.3 to 3.7. Soil total and organic C and the ratio: (soil organic C)/(soil total N) decreased due to decreasing plant C inputs as the soil pH declined. As expected, the CaCO₃ concentration was greatest at very high pH values (pH > 7.5). In contrast, extractable Al concentrations increased linearly (R² = 0.94, p < 0.001) from below about pH 5.4, while extractable Mn concentrations were largest at pH 4.4 and decreased at lower pHs. Biomass C and biomass ninhydrin-N were greatest above pH 7. There were statistically significant relationships between soil pH and biomass C (R² = 0.80, p < 0.001), biomass ninhydrin-N (R² = 0.90, p < 0.001), organic C (R² = 0.83, p < 0.001) and total N (R² = 0.83, p < 0.001), confirming the importance of soil organic matter and pH in stimulating microbial biomass growth. Soil CO₂ evolution increased as pH increased (R² = 0.97, p < 0.001). In contrast, the respiratory quotient (qCO₂) had the greatest values at either end of the pH range. This is almost certainly a response to stress caused by the low p. At the highest pH, both abiotic (from CaCO₃) and biotic Co₂ will be involved so the effects of high pH on biomass activity are confounded. Microbial biomass and microbial activity tended to stabilise at pH values between about 5 and 7 because the differences in organic C, total N and Al concentrations within this pH range were small. This work has established clear relationships between microbial biomass and microbial activity over an extremely wide soil pH range and within a single soil type. In contrast, most other studies have used soils of both different pH and soil type to make similar comparisons. In the latter case, the effects of soil pH on microbial properties are confounded with effects of different soil types, vegetation cover and local climatic conditions.